Birching Rods (43)

Poor Zak, if only he knew what a pervert he was shaking hands with...

subbie xxx

Making A Birch

The Birch was a fearsome item for the correction of young wrongdoers, much used in England before the arrival of cane from the Pacific. These days we may do well to re-aquaint ourselves with these old-time methods, which I can assure you are still just as effective!

First gather your twigs. The Hairy Birch, Betula Pubescens, is better than the more commonly known Silver Birch, though Silver Birch works well enough to be effective, as will hazel, ash, sycamore, and other similar broad-leaved trees. (The leaves and bark of the Hairy Birch are very similar to Silver Birch, differing only in that the bark is copper coloured and the twigs are finer - which is why it is best.)

Do not use the twigs from a weeping variety, they will just fly apart on first application. Never use an evergreen, a fir, spruce, yew, etc. They all have poisons in the leaves to discourage grazing animals.

Cut a sackful, length about a yard or so. Strip most of the leaves off by pulling them through your hands. Leave a few, they are a good indicator of freshness. Too many and they slow the birch as it is swung through the air. Take a stripped twigs. Look at the curve on it. Line up the tips. Take another and put them together so that the curves cancel out as close as you can see. Add another on the same principle until you have enough. Only experience will tell you how many is sufficient; generally it will be more than 5 and less than a dozen, with a total weight of 3 - 8 oz. Take two yards of string. Tie the mid point of the string tightly around the mid point of the twigs. Take one end of the string and wind tightly about the bundle down toward the butt end. Tie off after just before you pass the butt end of a couple of twigs. Cut the rest off, so that all the butt ends are about the same length. Take the other end of the string and wind up towards the tip, getting slacker as you go; about halfway to the tip put the string through the bundle and wind back in the opposite rotation, making the turns tighter as you go, tying off at the mid point, where you started. You now have an effective birch that will work. They are often actually of birch, or similar twigs, which makes for a 'spray' of fine twigs. There is also the type using a bundle of thin, straight, branches, making a 'rod'. The latter were often of willow withies (leader shoots from a pollarded tree), apple-wood (leader-shoots again) at Winchester School, also hazel and many others depending on availability, suitability and time of year.

You may soak your birch in water first, or brine, vinegar, etc. both as an antiseptic, preservative of the birch and because it stings if the skin is cut. The Birch is best applied on the exposed bottom but it will cut the skin. It is best used fresh and can be preserved awhile by being kept standing with the butt end in water. If you must use a birch on more than one recipient I recommend, sterilising it in boiling water between each person.

Compiled for The Birching Block by Mrs E Rosenthal